History glossary
Umma
a Sumerian city-state in southern Mesopotamia, probably near modern Tell Jokha in Iraq.
- Category
- City-state
- Region
- Southern Iraq
- Date range
- third millennium BCE
What it means
Umma was a Sumerian city-state in southern Mesopotamia, usually associated with modern Tell Jokha in Iraq. It is especially known for long-running conflicts with Lagash over land and water, showing how city-states competed over resources.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Rise of Islam
From Muhammad's first revelations to the early caliphates, Islam grew from a Meccan message into a civilisation spanning Africa, Asia and Europe.
Mesopotamia
Ancient Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was one of the birthplaces of urban civilisation. In this Tigris and Euphrates civilization, communities built some of the first cities, developed cuneiform writing, organised law codes, and created early empires. From Sumer and Akkad to Babylon and Assyria, this history of Mesopotamia shows how farming, irrigation, temples, kingship, trade, and record-keeping helped create the structures of complex society. It also works as a Mesopotamia timeline and Mesopotamia civilization overview, with clear Mesopotamia facts tracing how Mesopotamian civilization grew from villages into states and empires.
